Euphorbia plant named ‘BONPR 1639’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpr 1639’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; inflorescences with purplish red-colored flower bracts with random light purplish pink-colored spots, flecks and sectors; relatively small cyathia; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch XEuphorbia cornastra.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPR 1639’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR/APPLICANT &ASSIGNEE

A Japanese Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant wasfiled by the Assignee of the instant application, Bonza Botanicals Pty.,Ltd. of Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Sep. 24, 2020,application number 34954. Foreign priority is not claimed to thisapplication.

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications noradvertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distributionoccurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of thisapplication. Any information about the claimed plant would have beenobtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from theInventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assigneeclaim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosureand/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior tothe effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEuphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpr 1639’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia.The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecificEuphorbia plants with compact, upright and mounded plant habit andattractive flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofa proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch XEuphorbia cornastra identified as code number 15-38, not patented. Thenew Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within a population of plants of themutation parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment inYellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in October, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, NewSouth Wales, Australia since October, 2016 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpr 1639’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonpr 1639’ as a new and distinct Euphorbiaplant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Inflorescences with purplish red-colored flower bracts with        random light purplish pink-colored spots, flecks and sectors.    -   5. Relatively small cyathia.    -   6. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the mutationparent selection in flower bract color as flower bracts of plants of thenew Euphorbia are purplish red in color with random light purplishpink-colored spots, flecks and sectors whereas flower bracts of plantsof the mutation parent selection are pink in color with randomwhite-colored spots, flecks and sectors.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonprilipcom’,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,327. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of‘Bonprilipcom’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia are larger than plants of        ‘Bonprilipcom’.    -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia have thicker lateral stems than        plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’.    -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller leaves than plants        of ‘Bonprilipcom’.    -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia have smaller flower bracts than        plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’.    -   5. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Bonprilipcom’ differ in        flower bract color as flower bracts of plants of the new        Euphorbia are purplish red in color with random light purplish        pink-colored spots, flecks and sectors whereas flower bracts of        plants of ‘Bonprilipcom’ are solid pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpr 1639’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Bonpr 1639’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and described herewith indetail were grown during the autumn and early winter in 12-cm containersin an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and nighttemperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were six months old when thephotographs and the description were taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X    Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpr 1639’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch X Euphorbia    cornastra identified as code number 15-38, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at            temperatures about 20° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at            temperatures about 20° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days            at temperatures about 20° C. to 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizers, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Relatively compact, upright and            mounded plant habit; inverted triangle; inflorescences            positioned above the foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 25 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely            branching habit, about four lateral branches develop per            plant. Length: About 10.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.9 mm.            Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to            somewhat outward. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to NN137B.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 7 cm. Width: About 4.7 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Serrate, occasionally with few            shallow lobes; slightly undulate. Venation pattern: Pinnate,            reticulate. Texture and luster, upper surface: Rugose,            glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Rough,            sparsely pubescent; matte. Color: Developing leaves, upper            surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface:            Close to 138A. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Darker            than 139A; venation, close to 138B. Fully developed leaves,            lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 143A.            Petioles: Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.1 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.            Color, upper surface: Close to 138A, variably tinged with            close to 59B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending            the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar            plane.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, about            four inflorescences develop per plant.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 16.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.8 cm.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the            autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and            development can also be induced under artificial long            nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early            flowering response, plants flower about 50 days under            natural season or photoinductive conditions in Japan.        -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;            plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and            bract color for about eight weeks.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length:            About 6.1 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:            Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire with occasional            irregular serrations; slightly undulate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Mostly horizontal.            Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Transitional            bracts, upper surface: Random sectors and areas, close to            N57B and 69C; towards the margins, close to 143A.            Transitional bracts, lower surface: Random sectors and            areas, close to N57D and 69C; towards the apex, close to            143A. Developing bracts, upper surface: Close to N57A and            62B. Developing bracts, lower surface: Close to 63A and 62C.            Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to N57B; random            spots, flecks and sectors, close to 68D; venation, close to            N57B. Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: Close to 58D;            random spots, flecks and sectors, close to NN155B; venation,            close to 143D. Flower bract petioles: Length: About 1.2 cm.            Diameter: About 1.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to N57B and 144D.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 19. Diameter of cyathia            cluster: About 2.7 cm. Height, individual cyathium: About            4 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 5.7 mm. Shape,            individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Distally, close to 67A            and proximally, close to 143A. Nectaries: Quantity per            cyathium: One. Size: About 2.2 mm by 3.4 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 3C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect:            Mostly upright. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathia: Two.            Filament length: About 1.9 mm. Filament color: Close to 67B.            Anther size: About 0.9 mm by 1.1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.            Anther color: Close to 160B and 64A. Pollen amount: Sparse.            Pollen color: Close to 3A. Pistils: To date, pistil            development has not been observed on plants of the new            Euphorbia.        -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not            been observed on plants of the new Euphorbia.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Euphorbia plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpr 1639’as illustrated and described.